Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Shared Narratives: Intermediality in Fandom
- 2 Fan Membership: Traditional and Digital Fieldwork
- 3 Naturalizing Sherlock: Dutch Fans Interpret the Famous Detective
- 4 Queer Teen Drama: Rewriting and Narrative Closure in Glee Fan Fiction
- 5 Transmedia Play: Approaching the Possible Worlds of Firefly
- 6 Embodied Characters: The Affective Process of Cosplay
- 7 Conclusion: Prospects for Fan Studies
- Bibliography of Fan Works
- Index
7 - Conclusion: Prospects for Fan Studies
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 December 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Shared Narratives: Intermediality in Fandom
- 2 Fan Membership: Traditional and Digital Fieldwork
- 3 Naturalizing Sherlock: Dutch Fans Interpret the Famous Detective
- 4 Queer Teen Drama: Rewriting and Narrative Closure in Glee Fan Fiction
- 5 Transmedia Play: Approaching the Possible Worlds of Firefly
- 6 Embodied Characters: The Affective Process of Cosplay
- 7 Conclusion: Prospects for Fan Studies
- Bibliography of Fan Works
- Index
Summary
Abstract
Productive fandom is increasingly performed and lived through online connectivity, such as digital games, new social media channels, and branded websites. The conclusion explores the future of fandom and fan studies in an increasingly networked society, and revisits the conceptual model from the introduction. I recapitulate key concepts and summarize core findings of the study. I will reflect upon the methodological stance of fan scholars, and the limits that come with this. What are the challenges of writing an ethnography of fan studies when you are fully immersed into these cultures? I revisit the methodological and theoretical frameworks to provide recommendations and prospects in the field of fan studies.
Keywords: Fan studies, media studies, innovation, ethnograpy, convergence
Challenges of an Emerging Field
Productive Fandom reflects upon a contemporary popular culture that is constantly changing and increasingly valued. Fan studies long based itself on the idea that fans are an active or subversive audience that can be opposed to passive viewers. In today's participatory culture, however, fans are hardly seen as exceptional in their activity. Jenkins (2007) even argues that fandom is nearing its end now that all audiences have become active. Fandom is almost entirely embedded in mainstream culture.
When I began this book, it seemed that this increase of audience activity had rendered “fandom” obsolete, but the opposite occurred as the field suddenly started to flourish. Academic interest in fans has been sparked anew in recent years, with the foundation of fan studies networks, journals, and conferences. The field of fan studies was praised because it focused on unique audience activities undertaken by users, gamers, crafters, and artists. For many media scholars, fan studies became a hallmark in the analysis of new media studies and digital culture. Many scholars also tried to differentiate fans from other audiences. This study contributes to that debate by offering a detailed examination of fan activity and productivity.
I have shown that contemporary fandom is more than a subset of participatory culture. These audience groups are defined by unique social spheres, interpretive stances, and forms of creativity. While fans can be described as active audiences, this description overlooks the specificity of their cultures. Indeed, there are fundamental differences in how audiences participate and how critical, creative, or social this behavior is in particular regions, such as Japan (Takahashi, 2010).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Productive FandomIntermediality and Affective Reception in Fan Cultures, pp. 231 - 240Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2018